Sony BRAVIA 5 Sony BRAVIA 5 65" 4K HDR Smart Mini-LED TV Review

The Sony BRAVIA 5 is the best all-purpose TV for gamers. It nails the essentials with flawless HDMI 2.1 and leaves you with a great screen for everything else.

The Sony BRAVIA 5 is a gaming TV that accidentally became a great all-arounder. The headline is its gaming performance, which lands in the 95th percentile in our database, but what surprised us is how well-rounded it is. It's got a killer Mini-LED display, top-tier connectivity, and Sony's signature motion handling, making it a solid pick for anyone who wants a single screen for movies, sports, and marathon gaming sessions.

Where this TV really flexes is in its gaming chops. The full HDMI 2.1 suite with 120Hz, VRR, and ALLM is flawless, and the exclusive PS5 features are a nice bonus if you're in that ecosystem. But the real story is the connectivity score, which hits the 99th percentile. Four HDMI ports, Wi-Fi 6, and rock-solid eARC support mean you can plug in everything you own without a second thought. The 40W audio system is decent, but you'll want a soundbar for a true cinematic experience.

At around $1200 for the 65-inch model, it's a strong value. You're getting near-flagship gaming features and Sony's reliable processing for several hundred dollars less than their top-tier models. It's not the absolute cheapest Mini-LED TV, but for the performance you get, the price is justified.

The most direct competitor is the TCL QM8, which often costs less and has a brighter panel, but Sony's motion handling and upscaling for lower-quality content are significantly better. If you're a hardcore movie buff and watch in a dark room, an LG OLED like the C3 is still the king of contrast, but you'll trade some peak brightness and won't get the same worry-free experience with static HUDs from gaming. The Hisense U6 series is a budget option, but you'll notice the drop in processing power and gaming responsiveness immediately.

If you're a dedicated cinephile who watches exclusively in a pitch-black room, skip this. The infinite contrast of an OLED like the LG C3 will be more impactful. Also, if you're on a strict budget and just need a big Netflix screen, the Hisense U6 series will get you 90% of the way there for a lot less money.

We recommend the Sony BRAVIA 5 if you're a gamer first who also watches a lot of varied content. Its strength is being great at everything without a single glaring weakness. It's the Swiss Army knife of mid-range TVs. If you only watch movies in a dark cave, get an OLED. If you only care about the brightest highlights for sports, look at TCL. But if you want one TV to handle your PS5, Netflix binges, and Sunday football with equal competence, this is your pick.